Like Father Like Daughter
by ShatteredRhapsody
Summary: Kyo has a DAUGHTER! Obviously, Tohru's the mother but how will this effect everyone else? Three years and all it takes is one review to get me trying again. No longer discontinued. Updates will be slow.
1. Surprise Visit

AN: Ahhh I suck I suck I suck! I have a very bad habit of rushing things along…I'm sorry (bows in a Tohru-ish way) this'll have to be my…what…7th fic I've made so far…erm, I mean, actually put online…

Tohru. Was. Nervous. She had left life with the Sohmas four years ago. Oh, she kept in touch, but only with a few choice people—Kyo not included. Definitely not Kyo. What was she supposed to do? Show up out of the blue and go "Hey Kyo, guess what? I had your baby!" Uh-huh, definitely wasn't gonna go there.

But alas, at age 4, her Katsumi-chan was bursting with questions about her father. Tohru couldn't bring herself to say "Daddy." A cold shiver went down her spine whenever she thought about it. However, Katsumi was desperate to know, and Mama Tohru could hardly refuse her anything.

So there they were, walking hand-in-hand to the old house. Well, that's how Tohru thought of it. Old. It had been so long ago, that her memories of the place had faded from her mind. A small tug on her skirt pulled her away from her thoughts. She glanced down to stare at her child, "Katsu-chan, what is it?"

The four-year-old toed the ground with her sandal. "Well, um, w-will I get to meet my Da—ah, I mean, my Father?" Tohru wanted to cry. Her little girl didn't want to call him Daddy, knowing it would upset her. Such a sweet child.

"Uh-huh, we're nearly there. See?" She pointed to the house they were approaching, and smiled. "See, your Grandpa Shigure took care of me when I was in high school…"

"Aw, Mom," her daughter groaned, "High school for you was like a gazillion years ago!"

"Ah, hush you. We're almost th—

Tohru pushed open the door, running straight for the kitchen with her child at her heels. Sliding the kitchen door open, she screamed and flailed her arms wildly as Shigure Sohma stared off into space.

"SHIGURE! PAY ATTENTION TO THE SOUP BEFORE YOU BURN DOWN THE H—AHHHH! FIRE! PUT OUT THE FIRE!"


	2. Reunion

A/N: sorry I haven't updated for like…a day! Ack! 

For my new readers:

MattakuNoBaka

inuluv922

eastercat

Sailordeedlit

Aya-heart-tooya

Thank you so much for the reviews! And oh! I so agree! (Does a victory dance for system of a down)

Shigure didn't know what to make of it. He really _thought_ he could cook today. So imagine his surprise when Tohru burst through the door screaming his name. And that only proved he was a complete failure when it came to cooking, cereal not included.

He didn't _mean_ to let the soup boil over. He just thought how he would celebrate his victory when he found out how good it would taste…which led to the destruction of the stove.

"Ah, um, well you see Tohru…" His eyes trailed past the wailing woman to the small child with wild, reddish-orange, cat eyes. His jaw dropped slightly. _This_ was Kyo's child! He was in shock as he compared the girl's likeness to her father. Same orange hair, eyes, and—what was this? He could see easily see her being loud and bossy. However, the only things that he could see that came from Tohru were the nose, mouth, ears, and small figure.

It was just then that he noticed how quiet everything got. Both females were staring at him, the mother baffled by his lack of noise, the other, wondering if this was the loud mouth that lived with her mother.

With a squeal that had both mother and daughter cringing, Shigure gathered them both in his arms. "Oh my little flower has blossomed at last! And what's this? A new bud has formed on the vine that is Tohru!" **(A/N: sweatdrop)**

Katsumi squirmed while her mother laughed. Was everyone crazy! Was she the only one sane? Well, apparently not.

"Ah, Shigure, you haven't changed one bit!" After she had untangled herself and her daughter from Shigure, Tohru smiled happily. "Oh, and this is my baby Katsumi."

The little orange top gave a typical four-year-old exasperated sigh. "_Momma_! I'm not a _baby_ anymore!" Shigure patted her head and looked at Tohru. "My, my, Tohru-kun. She certainly does take after her father doesn't she?"

Now _that_ was a mood killer. The old dog **(A/N: XD)** noticed the strange silence at the mention of Kyo. He pulled Tohru aside and said in a low whisper, "Kyo doesn't even know he has a kid, does he?" She shook her head.

He sighed. Even though she was 25 years old, just that sad look made her look 16 again. He looked her over—no, no, he wasn't perverted about it. Just an inspection—and found her to be just slightly different.

She hadn't grown much taller, but her body had filled out just a smidgen. _Probably because of her pregnancy_, Shigure thought to himself. Her hair had grown down to her hips, and she still wore simple clothing. But when he looked at Katsumi, he saw a lot of Kyo and not enough Tohru.

The little girl's shoulder-length orange hair was in pigtails, and she wore a black T-shirt, and khaki cargo pants that bagged at the ankles. She wore scruffy sneakers that looked almost as old as she was.

So how had Tohru afforded all this? Giving birth must've been expensive, and paying for child necessities, even more so. Then how on earth had she managed to raise a child on her own?

Shigure was far to quiet for Tohru's liking. She could just about see what was troubling him. He looked worried. The boyish glint had faded from his eyes, and he seemed very distracted. But…

"Shigure-san? Does…Does Kyo still live over by the dojo?" She watched as her old guardian's head snapped to her gaze. His brows knit in worry. So she had come to tell Kyo. That was her reason for visiting. With a heavy sigh, he nodded. "Be careful Tohru."

Katsumi looked up at him. Why would he worry about her Mom? Was her father dangerous? Grandpa Hatori once described him to her as a raving lunatic. Like she knew what the heck _that _was.

**A/N: I'll continue this on the next chapter. Plz don't hate me. OH! REVIEWS! Send 'em in!**


	3. Kyo's Little Girl

**A/N: I'm only doing this because they begged me to. And by "they" I mean my reviewers. See, you're all lucky I'm not the "Send in so and so reviews and I'll update" kind of person. R&R plz!**

**Thank you to:**

**MattakuNoBaka**

**imoutosan**

**aya-heart-toya**

**ShadowWolves**

**BradleyGirl17**

**eastercat**

**inuluv922**

**Sailordeedlit**

**Oh jeez, if more people start sending in reviews…HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PUT ALL THE NAMES IN! Aw crap, I'll figure it out…**

"Mama, are you nervous? Mama?" Katsumi tugged insistently on her mother's skirt, her tiny hand fisted in the material.

Tohru wasn't listening. Her heart was pounding too loud. She almost wished she hadn't remembered where the house near by the dojo was. But she had to go. She couldn't hide it from him forever. And besides, Tohru Honda wasn't the type to give up so easily.

But now, when they were at the door, she wasn't so sure of herself. She could hear the T.V. going, and a nervous giggle bubbled up from her throat. _Such a slacker._

_Ah! But I really shouldn't be one to judge, I mean, I…I…I'm doing it again. Come one Tohru, you can't come up with excuses! Just knock on the door alr—_

"Mama?"

Tohru shrieked, and stumbled backwards. Her heart wasn't just pounding, no; it was galloping, trying to match the way she was breathing. She hoped to God no one had heard that. Maybe the T.V. was loud enough to block the sound. Maybe he was sleeping. Maybe—

"TOHRU!"

Then again, maybe not.

Tohru took in a gulp of air before she slowly raised her head. When she saw him, her speeding heart nearly stopped dead in her chest, and she brought Katsumi closer to her, smothering the poor child against her skirt.

Sweet Heaven, the man was more attractive than she remembered! He looked so much more mature, yet still had those eyes. The eyes that were always filled with fire. For…her?

_NO! No, no, no. Stop thinking that! _

"Ah, um, hello…Kyo."

Kyo recoiled as if he had been slapped. Five years. She had been gone for 5 years and now here she was. Talk about your bolt out of the blue. Before he could stop himself, 5 years worth of anger and pain started pouring out of him.

"Where the hell were you! Why didn't you call, no, WHY DID YOU LEAVE! WAS I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU! WELL! ANSWER ME, TOHRU!" He abruptly shut his mouth, watching her eyes warily. He was expecting to see tears, her mouth trembling, anything!

But Tohru had gotten stronger, and she wouldn't give him that pleasure of seeing her cry. Her eyes locked on to his, defiance shining at him. "I left because of the reason why I came back." She could feel Katsumi shaking from behind her. It was past time her child knew the truth.

Kyo hissed his fury. Now what kind of answer was that supposed to be? He definitely didn't need her talking in riddles like the damn dog. "Meaning what? What did I do that was so bad that you had to leave!"

With trembling hands, she cautiously pushed Katsumi forward. Her daughter didn't resist. She wanted to meet her father, and she knew the consequences. _God, I hope she does. Please Kyo, don't yell at her._

Yell at her? No, he couldn't do that. He was too shocked. Shocked by the trembling girl before him. With her orange hair and her fiery eyes so like his own. He didn't need any help in guessing who she was. He wasn't _that_ slow anymore.

"A-Are you my D-Daddy?" Katsumi was scared. She knew that her Daddy was prone to yelling, but what he was saying to her Mama was absolutely frightening for her.

Kyo's eyes lost its fire. His fury wiped out by a wave of tenderness. His child. Tohru had his child, and here she was, asking if it were true. How could he deny her? They looked so much alike, it was obvious.

With jerky movements, he held his arms out to her, silently pleading her to come to him. His heart nearly broke when tears fell from her eyes as she ran into his arms.

"You're real right? You're my Daddy? You don't hate Mommy! Say you don't hate her!" She sobbed into his shoulder, her arms shaking as she tried to hold him closer.

His eyes blurred, and he blinked back the tears. "No, no. I could never hate your Mommy, never. You're my little girl. Mine."

Tohru stood to the side, her hand clamped over her mouth to keep in the sobs wracking in her chest. _Now what? He doesn't hate me, but what will we do? _

She hung her head low, her eyes straying from Kyo and Katsumi. She knew what would happen. Or at least she thought she did. He would ask for custody of her little girl. He'd want to keep her. To keep the girl he didn't know he had. Instead of keeping the girl he once had.

But even though she knew right from wrong, Tohru didn't think she'd be able to give her up. It was the right thing for Kyo to want Katsumi, but was it the wrong thing for Tohru to refuse?

_It's okay. Don't worry about it now. What happens, happens. What doesn't, doesn't. Heh, oh Shigure, look what you've done. Yuki-kun would say you've brainwashed me and—_

_No! Don't think about that. Yuki doesn't know. Only Hatori and Shigure and Ayame. Don't worry. _

_It's alright._

_Just be yourself._

_I promise you'll get through this._

_It's alright…_

**A/N: Well, hope you liked it. I'll update soon or maybe tomorrow okay? Review and I might just finish up tonight. **


	4. Panic

**A/N: Hello, hello! Thank you so much for the reviews! And I apologize for not mentioning earlier that the curse was gone; it just sort of slipped my mind.**

**Disclaimer: I really am the own—WHAT! Do I have to…okay, okay, fine.**

**I DO NOT OWN FRUITS BASKET! But I wish I did…**

Tohru didn't know how long she stood there, listening to her child crying, Kyo trying to soothe her, looking down at her watch…

Only to let out a high-pitched shriek that made Shigure's squeal **(A/N: see ch. 2) **sound like a choir of angels.

"Oh crap, oh crap!"

Kyo looked over his child's—_his child._ It was still hard for him to believe he even had one—shoulder, only to see Tohru having a full-blown panic attack. "Toh…ru?"

"Hey Kyo-kun," she didn't notice him wince at the suffix, "I'm ah, um, late for a…an appointment at Aya—I mean, er, well, just an appointment." She darted past him, oblivious to the fact that her hair had just brushed his side, making him shudder, and kissed her daughter's head.

"I'm sure you'll ah, want to get to know her, so…" Her voice was beginning to speed up, "It's okay if she stays here ah! I mean for the night, if that's alright with Shishou-san and Kunimitsu-san, that is, uh, if they're still here and HOLY FREAKING CRAP, I'M LATE!"

Without even realizing it, she placed a quick kiss on the corner of Kyo's mouth, and ran off calling behind her, "I'll pick her up, or you can drop her off at Sensei's **(A/N: Shigure, if you don't know)** house tomorrow evening! Bye Kyo-kun! Bye, bye Katsumi-chan!"

Kyo's brain was feeling a tad bit numb as he watched her run off. And well, you know that kind of shock that you don't really feel until _after_ it happens? Yeah. He felt it alright. _Wait, wait, wait. Back that up. She just called me…then she ...and then she kissed…and now I…_

Yes, yes, Kyo. She called you "Kyo-kun," she offered to let your kid stay the night with you, she absently—keyword: _absently_—kissed you, and now you know your kid's name. Now actually, it only took him about 5 seconds to realize that last part on his own. The rest just clicked into place for him.

With a gulp, he glanced down at the small girl who clutched his pant leg. "Kat…su…mi…chan?"

His heart nearly skipped a beat when she looked up at him with a cheerful smile. "Yes, Daddy?" Kyo felt his knees buckle, and he fell forward to hold her. With a small _oomph!_, she struggled in his arms. "_Daddy,_" she said with exasperation, "why is everyone trying to suffocate me today! First Grandpa Shigure, then Mama, and now you!"

Kyo stiffened, anger boiling in his gut at her words. _So she told the dog, but not _me? _How come _he_ gets to know about Katsumi and not _me?_ Tohru, you have a _lot_ of explaining after this._

**A/N: Ha ha! Short, ne? But if you paid careful attention, you'd have noticed that Tohru nearly said Ayame's name. Why? And why isn't Kyo so damn slow like before? Heh. I couldn't be so cruel as to let him suffer like that, but don't be disappointed. I'm in a good mood and the next chapter will be up in a few.**


	5. The Evil Refrigerator

**A/N: Hey, I said I was in a good mood, but that was a lie. Truth is, I'm wired on 1 bottle of that new Vault energy/soda drink, half a can of Monster, and a Grande Caramel Frap. I needed to vent, so here we are with ch. 5! YAY!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FRUITS BASKET! (runs off and cries)**

The words _if only_ kept on popping up in Kyo's mind. He couldn't help it. If only he had _known_ he would have company, he would've stocked the fridge. If only he knew his child was a _girl_, he would've cleaned up his room. And if only, _if only,_ Tohru had told him he _had_ a child, none of this would have happened. But what was done was done. And he tried to make up for the first two if only's.

While he speed-cleaned his room upstairs, he let Katsumi wander around the ground floor. He was half way done when he heard her open something, then instantly slam it shut. Curious, he tossed his dirty clothes in the hamper and came downstairs into the kitchen. He found her staring up at the rice cooker, the appliance at least 2 feet above her head. _Maybe I should pick her up so she could…_

Kyo's mouth dropped. Before he could even finish that thought, Katsumi gripped the counter, and pulled herself up. And with the finesse of her mother, she promptly opened up the rice cooker and started making…riceballs! **(A/N: XD)**

Careful not to startle her, he cleared his throat. Unfortunately, he had no idea how much she was like Tohru, and scared the life out of her. She yelped, and fell off the counter.

Positive that she would fall on her face, he rushed to catch her. But again, he was amazed by her. She fell onto her feet, looked up at him, waved, and jumped back onto the counter. He shook his head and chuckled. _So she's easily scared like Tohru, but she's as dense as I was._ **(A/N: Heh, heh. Get it? He _was_ dense. That doesn't mean he still _is_ dense)**

He watched in fascination as she quickly made 5 perfect riceballs without dropping a single grain of rice. As she bit into the first one, he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, hey Katsu-chan?"

She continued chewing and raised a brow. He continued. "What did I hear slam earlier?" He chuckled when her face made a look of pure disgust. Swallowing, she pointed to the refrigerator. "That thing is _evil._"

Well that was new. Kyo had never heard of an evil refrigerator. And evil toilet? Understandable. A fridge? He could only stare at her. With a groan, she finished eating, and got down to walk to the home appliance.

Using her thumb and forefinger, she cautiously pulled the door wide open, and gestured down to the bottom drawer. "Daddy," her voice was low, and full of spite. "How can you possibly live with the most gross-est and evil-est food in the history of…of forever!"

Unsure of what she meant, he took a peek inside…and immediately stumbled back. At that moment, he was torn between two emotions. Sure he was happy she hated what was in there, but why, for the good of all mankind, _why were there leeks in the fridge!_

**A/N: _Again,_ I'm soooooo sorry it's so short. But you have to admit, it was cute. Next up, Katsu-chan will unwittingly tell Kyo some things about Tohru that not even the Mabudachi Trio (Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame) knew about. Oh and btw, if you're going to add me onto your favorites, could you _at least_ check out my other fics? Thank you and have a good night, erm, day?**


	6. The Change in Tohru

**A/N: Yay! Chapter 6! And this time, I'll try to make it longer just for you. **

**Disclaimer: blah blah blah no, I do not own Fruits Basket.**

**V**

**V**

"Tohru-kun, Tohru-kun, why is it you are so late?" Ayame Sohma asked as he took in her flushed face and red eyes. _She's been crying._

He gently took her coat, and hung it on the coat rack. Taking her hand, he pulled her into the back of his shop. "Tohru, where is Katsu-kun?" Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back.

"I…I told Kyo the truth." He stayed quiet. He knew this was heavy on her heart, so he put on his best smile, and whipped out a sketchpad. "Oh! Look how your sketch came out, Tohru-kun! It's perfect! Mine went out for the materials!"

Her face brightened instantly. "R-Really! So…will it be sold here?" Behind her shining eyes, and in her mind, Tohru sighed. _He's just trying to distract me. But still…_

"Thank you, thank you Ayame! Oh, and I've got a few new sketches in there somewhere…"

**V**

**V**

"Hey Daddy," Katsumi said over her bowl of rice, "is it true that you teach martial arts?"

Kyo raised a brow. "Yes, I do. Why? Do you want to learn?" He was hoping she wanted to learn. That way, they could spend a lot more time together. _Please say yes. Say yes!_

"Ah, no." She looked down at her food.

_DAMN!_

Even though she was only 4 years old, Katsumi wasn't blind. She could see that her father was frustrated. "Um, um, it's not that I _don't_ want to learn, really! Mama just told me about you and how I might need it to let out some of my anger. But I don't get it. I'm not angry." She grit her teeth in annoyance. "It wasn't _my_ fault the other kids didn't like me. Really, it wasn't."

Her eyes had started to fill up with tears, and Kyo got it loud and clear. _It wasn't her fault she looked different, it's mine._ For once, after the years of the curse being broken, he hated that he looked different. He hated the fact that his child had to suffer because she took after him. It just wasn't fair.

She sniffled, bringing his attention back to her. "I t-tried to make friends like Mama said, but they…they called me names. I didn't want Mama to know, but it was s-so hard! They called me a f-freak, and threw stuff at me." Her shoulders started to tremble as a sob wracked her small frame. "I couldn't h-help it. I d-don't know w-why, but I started t-to hit them."

Kyo was seething. It pissed him off to know that she was hurting. With a deep breath, he gathered her into his arms, and gently rocked her. What she needed was his calm, not his fury. "Shh, it's alright Katsu-chan. There's nothing wrong with you, they're just a bunch of retarded midgets. It's not their fault they're stupid." _Crap._ He wanted to smack himself. He was supposed to be the mature parent, but instead, he came to insults.

But apparently, the insults worked. Katsumi let out a watery chuckle, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Daddy." She pulled away to look up at his eyes. "But the best part was when Mama went off on the teacher."

He stilled. Tohru. Went. Off? That definitely didn't sound like Tohru. "What did she say?"

"Well…"

_**Flashback**_

"Ms. Honda, Katsumi is extremely violent. I can't have her near my students."

"Violent? Have you even _seen_ the way your students have been treating her!"

The teacher bit her lip. When she had first met Ms. Honda, her first impression was of someone very calm and patient. Well that theory was thrown clearly out the window today. The woman before her was neither calm, nor patient. She was viciously upset, and her voice made the teacher herself feel like a child being scolded by a parent.

"Well, no. But it's not their fault she looks—

Oops.

"Oh, so this is because my child _looks_ different! I chose your preschool because the Head of the District told me you weren't the type to judge children! And I'm sorry if she got violent with the other students, but _maybe_ if you actually paid _attention_ to the situation, none of this would've happened."

"Now see here, Ms. Honda. I don't know who you are to start thinking you can tell me how to do _my_ job, but I do not take threats lightly."

Tohru's blue eyes turned icy, her fists clenched. "Oh? So now I have threatened you?"

Silence.

"I thought so. Now whatever vengeance you take out on my child would automatically place the blame one you. And if you so much as _think_ you can get back at me, then you're in for a big surprise because I can buy you and sell you twice over."

The teacher hissed in fury. "No you can't! You don't have that much power!"

"No, but my child does. You didn't forget that my child is a Sohma did you?"

The teacher's face paled. "I never thought…she's related to _that_ Sohma family!"

Tohru scoffed at the woman. "Of course you never thought about it. You're incapable of even thinking for your students, let alone yourself. Good bye Mrs. Nagumo, and trust me, your superiors will hear about this."

_**End Flashback**_

Kyo was stunned. While Katsumi laughed and laughed about her mother's confrontation, her father was in shock. _So Tohru _can_ get angry, eh? But to use the power of the Sohma's influence? What could have brought her to resort to that?_

**V**

**V**

As Tohru stitched the material together, her ears started to burn. _Huh, maybe someone is talking about me._ Gently, she shook out the dust from the skirt. It was beautiful.

And she had made it.

_Now to tell Ayame…_

**V**

**V**

**A/N: So there are a few things that Tohru has hidden. Like the fact that she can get angry, and that she's been working for Ayame. And if she can use the Sohma name as a threat, what's her reason for it? Next up: The secret of what Tohru has been hiding since the birth of Katsumi-chan.**


	7. Denial and Regret

**A/N: I'm sorry it's been sooooooooooo damn long since I've updated, but I think I got it now. **

**V**

**V**

**V**

::Flashback::

She was in pain, so much pain. Why? Why didn't they use protection? Surely none of this would've happened if they had only—

_My child is NOT a mistake!_

"…okay? Tohru-chan! You have to **breathe** through this." Kagura Sohma stood beside the hospital bed. She was quite worried about her friend. And for good reason too. "Tohru-chan, onegai! You have to **listen** to the doctor!"

But Tohru Honda was far away. The contractions were so close together, it had her body laboring for air. No one told her giving birth would be so hard! So she had mentally retreated from the pain. _Oh, Kagura-san, it hurts. It hurts so much…_

She opened her eyes, breathing the way she was taught in Lamaze Class. She looked at Kagura, who was begging her to listen. Listen? How could she when all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart? _That's not right…I can hear another…_

"Honda-san, you will lose the child if you don't push."

That got her attention. Focusing on the voice, Tohru looked up at the nurse. Kiyone Sohma was there for her. For **her. **Kiyone was Tohru's rock during nine emotional months of happiness and regret. She was what held her together. The least Tohru could do was repay her kindness.

"Kiyone," her voice was hoarse from her crying, "Kagura, arigato. Arigato for being here for me." With a deep breath, she pushed. She kept pushing in time with her doctor's instructions. Although it only took a few minutes, Tohru felt as if she had waited a lifetime to hear those first cries. Tears blurred her vision when she saw her.

_My little girl._

As she held her in her arms, she wept with happiness. Both Kiyone and Kagura hugging the new mother, kissing the temple of the tiny infant that so resembled her father.

_Father…_

Tohru's heart pounded in alarm. Would she ever tell him? **Dare** she ever tell him?

"Her name, Honda-san?" The doctor held the birth certificate for the mother to see.

"Sohma. Katsumi Sohma."

Her little girl.

**_Iie._** A voice from deep within her heart whispered._ **Iie, Tohru-chan. That's not true.**_ And it wasn't. Katsumi wasn't just **her** child, but **his** as well.

_She's mine. _

_**You're being selfish.**_

_But Kyo-kun said…_

_**Tohru-chan!**_

…_that it was okay…_

The baby was placed in crib beside the bed. She was sleeping. The other two Sohma women had left to give both mother and daughter privacy.

_**TOHRU!**_

_It's okay…to be selfish sometimes…_

And she had learned that from…

_Kyo-kun._

Tohru covered her face with her hands and wept.

**V**

**V**

**V**

**A/N: Sad, isn't it? I'll update soon.**


	8. Temporary Insanity, Scissors, Surprise!

**A/N: Whew! I finally got my head cleared up, so I can write again! Thanks for the reviews! And thank God the writer's block passed…I got the worst headache when I had it… --**

**R&R**

**Ps**

**This is still flashback. I'll let you know when it ends so I don't freak out and confuse myself. **

**:………….::……………….:………….::………...:…………..::………::……:**

"Are you sure this is alright with you, Kiyone-san? I don't want to intrude on your personal life and—"

"Honda-san, Honda-san. We talked about this already. You are not intruding if I'm inviting you and Katsumi _into_ my personal life. So why don't the two of you get settled, while I call Tori-nii."

Ah, that's right. It turns out that Hatori had a half-sister through his father and his mistress. Kiyone resembled Hatori in more ways than one. She went to medical school, and became a nurse in the Maternal Ward. Hence the reason why Hatori asked her to take care of Tohru and her newborn baby. She was tall like Hatori, and even looked like Hatori…with certain exceptions of course.

Kiyone Sohma had Hatori's shaggy hair, but it reached past her shoulders, and was usually held back in a clip. They even had the same eyes, but her eyes were naturally poor-sighted, which lead to the contacts she wore. But the one surprising thing about her was that, not only did she share his melodic laughter, but it was a rare sound to hear at all.

Tohru nodded, grateful for the chance to rest. Katsumi was resting in the crib inside the guestroom given to them by Kiyone. As she walked down the hall, she could hear Kiyone talking.

"Oh, they're fine. There's no need to worry, Tori-nii. Nani? Um, I guess it's okay for Ayame-kun to visit later but—he what? Oh, gifts? Maa…just tell him that he can't stay for too long. It's important for Honda-san to get her rest. I'll call you again in the morning when I ca— Tell him to shut up! I will **NOT** go out on a date with him!"

Tohru leaned out far enough to see a look of utter horror cross the woman's face. "Iie! Don't put him on the ph—Why hello, Shii-kun. Nani? Of _course_ I'm not avoiding you. What ever gave you the idea that I would even—Who said I agreed to anything?! Wait a minute! _You're_ the one putting words in _my_ mouth!"

She went silent, staring at the phone with such disgust that she murmured, "How does he put up with you?" Sighing, she gave in. "Alright, alright. We'll go next Saturday if that's fi—_Why_ are you _whining_?! I only said Saturday because I have to baby-sit Katsumi! Yeah, baka, that's her name! Nani?! Since _when_ did you _ever _baby-sit! Iie, that was not an offer and you know it, you dirty, old…"

Tohru shook her head at the foolishness over the phone. She was about to shut the door to the room when she heard a ripping and then crashing sound. Startled, she held the door open, and peered around the corner.

If she wasn't so worried, so caring, so unmistakably her, she would've laughed her head off.

It appeared that Kiyone had ripped the phone off the wall, internal wiring included, and threw it on the floor. She was now on the ground with the phone, muttering incoherent nonsense.

Tohru could faintly hear distinct words as Kiyone glare menacingly at the phone. "Bastard…lunatic…devilish monstrosity…" She nearly had a heart attack at what she heard next: "…get revenge…scare him…yesss…borrow Hari-nii's syringe…Shii-kun no like needles…**big needles**..." She then proceeded to laugh like a raging lunatic until she felt someone watching her. It kinda went along the lines of:

"MWA HA HA HA!! YOU WILL BE **MINE**, SHII-KUN! MWA HA (she turns her head) ha… (and sees Tohru staring at her like she grew another head) …ha? Oooh… (here, she scratches head at the awkward silence) gomen, Honda-san. That was…erm…it wasn't exactly me. Iie! I mean it **was** me, but it wasn't **me**! Does that make sense? (Tohru sweatdrops and closes the door behind her) Honda-san? Uh…Tohru?"

**::End Flashback 2::**

Tohru absently listened to Ayame's compliments about the new clothesline that she had created. Normally, she would be all yiipy-skippy-yay, but she was too distracted. _Ooh, I hope Katsu-chan is alright! Is she eating? Wait, there's never really food at Shishou-san's place, so what **can** she be eating? _

"—ru? Tohru-chan, are you alright?" Mine could see the warning signs from Tohru's expression. She was going to burst with constant questions about…well, anything that came to mind. With a smile, she lowered her voice so that only Tohru could hear her. "I'm sure Katsu-chan is fine. Now we better pay attention before Ayame goes on another fabric rampage."

Tohru smiled, and even giggled slightly as Ayame pulled out a roll of fabric. "Mine! Scissors! Thread! Needles! We must begin the newest designs!" Tohru was still only faintly listening, agreeing with him all the way.

"Hai, that's a wonderful idea."

"Watch out for your fing—"

"Don't worry Mine-san, I'll get the First Aid Kit."

She left the back room, and headed for the door that leads to the back hallway where she was currently in. As she opened the door, she bumped solidly into a man. "Ah, gomen! I wasn't paying much attention but—" Looking up at who it was, Tohru's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Yu…ki?"

"Honda-san?!"

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**A/N: Now that's just cruel to leave my readers in such a way, buuuut….be grateful I even updated! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! (Insert insane laughter here) **

…

**I'm such a dork XP **


	9. Comfort and Some PervertSmacking Love!

**A/N: Well guess what my fantastic reviewers? I'm updating…FINALLY!!! Wooooo!!! Btw, there's a crapload going on in this chapter; the conversation/places will go from Yuki to Tohru, Ayame to Yuki, Kyo to Katsumi, and **_**finally**_** some Shigure/Kiyone.**

**Now, to pick up where we left off…**

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"Ah…ano, hi Yuki-kun," Tohru forced herself to keep eye contact, considering she was resisting the urge to run away as far as possible. "Long time no see, ne?" She tried to smile, but she couldn't. Hell, she couldn't even pull off a fake smile!

"Honda-san…" Shocked, Yuki did the one thing that came to mind. He hugged her. "Four years, Honda-san. Why? What did we do wrong?" Tohru answered the only way she knew how; she cried. "Gomen nasai, Yuki-kun, you didn't do anything wrong! I was…" And she dropped the bomb, "…pregnant with Kyo-kun's child. I w-was so scared so I—" She felt him stiffen, and released her shakily. "H-Honda-san, you—"

"Yuki! My beloved brother, you have made it to my shop! I see you've run into my most prized designer! Is she not as beautiful as all those years ago? Come now Yuki, and express your absolute appreciation of her talent!" Normally, this would be a simple idiot's declaration of his undying love for his younger brother; however, his real purpose behind his words was to rescue Tohru. "Nothing to say? My dear brother, if you do not mind, Tohru-kun has work to finish. Onward to Mine, Tohru-kun! Onward!"

Wiping the tears form her eyes, she nodded and pretty much sprinted back to where Mine was. Ayame sighed and ruffled his brother's hair affectionately. "Come, Yuki. This will take some time to explain." Instead of smacking away his idiot brother's hand, Yuki nodded and followed him into another room.

"I know it is a shock for you to find out this way, Yuki, but Tohru begged us not to say anything." They sat side-by-side on a cream colored couch, Ayame's hand resting on Yuki's shoulder. "She was so scared when she found out. Tori-kun said she came to him for guidance, and he gave all he could for her."

Yuki had his head buried in his hands. _So my brother knew? Who else other than him and Hatori? Most likely Shigure, but…_ "Why? Nii-san, why couldn't she have just told me? Does Kyo know?" The grip on his shoulder tensed for a second, then relaxed. "Hai, Yuki, Kyon-kichi just found out today. And about Tohru-kun, if you found out something like that, who would you go to? If I remember correctly, Tohru-kun was scared of hurting your feelings. How was she to know that you would fall in love with Machi? She didn't know what you wanted from her."

"Yuki," he waited for his brother's gaze to meet his. "Do you hate her?" So serious was his tone that Yuki was surprised to even hear the question. "Iie. I don't think I can. I mean," he stared up at the ceiling, "I don't think I'm even mad at her. I'm just…relieved, I guess. I never…I never could forget her, Nii-san. I tried…" A tear slipped from his eyes, shocking his older brother.

But instead of the usual outburst of this sudden change of emotion, Ayame ruffled his brother's hair again. "I know. It's okay, Yuki. It's okay."

**(A/N: Awww, brother-to-brother moment!)**

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"Daddy, where's your Daddy?" Katsumi stared up at her father as they ate onigiri together. She sat in his lap, her head cocked to the side so she could face him. Kyo smiled, "He's over at the dojo teaching martial arts. We can go meet him if you want."

She shook her head, "Nope! No, no, no! I want to just sit here and eat with my Daddy!" She swung her arms around his shoulders and squeezed, "I love you, Daddy."

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"Well, well. This is certainly is a surprise. What's the special occasion Kiyo-chan?" Shigure leaned against the doorway lazily, eyeing Sohma Kiyone like she was his newest doggy treat.

Slaaaap!

"Pervert!" Kiyone stomped inside, shoving him out of her way as she made her way to the backyard, where she plopped down on the patio. It wasn't her fault she came dressed as she was. She just got off of work—which was the Merry Maids, where you were required to dress like a French maid—and came by because she had to check on Katsumi…who was obviously not there.

"Kiyo-chaaaan, you're meeeeaaaaan!" Shigure whined, nipping the shell of her ear. He nearly giggled when she jumped from the contact. He knelt behind her, hands kneading the sore muscles of her back. "Bad day today?"

She was shaking. For a multitude of reasons. "Don't. Touch. Me." Her head did that slow, shaky turn so that she was glowering at him. Apparently, it had no effect on him as he tapped a finger on her nose. "Ahhh," he leaned in closer to her, "Do I annoy you?" Before she could harm him again, he caught her wrist, bringing her clenched fist to his lips. Kissing each knuckle, he kept his dark eyes focused on her. "Do I…_bother_ you?"

_In more ways than one? Damn right you do!_ She would have said it out loud if he hadn't tugged on her wrist, bringing her even closer to him. Her face met his chest, her eyes refusing to look any higher. "Iie." The word came out breathy and unsure. He chuckled, the sound making her feel the vibrations of the sound through his chest to her head.

Shigure caught hold of her chin with his other hand, tipping it upwards so that their lips were a breath apart. "Usotsuki," he nipped her bottom lip, enjoying the way her eyes fluttered. "You love it when I'm near you." Her eyes snapped open the minute she heard the "L" word.

"I hate you." She could've pulled away, smacked him, and stomped off to sulk…but she didn't. As her eyelids drifted closed, she both heard and felt him whisper against her lips, "Usotsuki," before she lost herself in the sheer pleasure of kissing him. _Tori-nii is going to murder us,_ was her last thought as he carried her inside.

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**A/N: See? SEE? I made it LONGER!!! So grrrr! to you reviewers who keep complaining! **

**Anyhoo, Hatori WILL have a romance in this fic because my Muses have been demanding it for some time now. As for Tohru and Yuki? They'll be catching up with each other in the next chappie. **


	10. Guilt, Confessions, and you're WHAT!

A/N: Rhapsody here

**A/N: Rhapsody here! I finally got the inspiration for a new chappie: THIS ONE!!**

**Enjoy!**

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What was that noise? What the hell could have intruded upon her blissful dream? Whatever it was, it had to die.

"Moshi (yawn) moshi," Shigure stretched briefly, then rested his hand upon Kiyone's head, fingers enmeshed in her silky black hair. He could feel her lips frown on his chest and smiled, "Who is this?" Silence.

"Shigure, have you seen Kiyone today? I called Ayaa's shop and Tohru said she hasn't seen her." He froze, his body jolting upright into a sitting position. Gesturing to his lover for silence, he tried to keep his voice light. "Nani? She came by earlier, but then she yelled at me and left."

Kiyone's face flushed crimson, and Shigure bit back a laugh at her Oh-holy-freakin'-crap-you're-talking-to-my-brother face. Disguising the laugh as a cough, he spoke into the receiver, "So there's no worries, Haa-kun. She's probably on her way back home—"

"She's there with you, isn't she?" Hatori's voice was cold and slightly angry. "Uh, well you see, Haa-kun…" Shigure could practically feel the evil intent through the phone. "Don't tell me you slept with her." His jaw dropped. Was it _that_ obvious? He groaned when he heard a click, and then dial tone. How the hell was he going to explain this one? Akito he could handle, considering the fact that she had moved one, but Hatori? How stupid _was_ he? Of all the women to get involved with, he ended up with his best friend's sister! He had to cut it off. Now.

"Shii-kun?"

He couldn't do it. If he was still the selfish bastard he once was, he would've stopped it after the second day. There she was, clad in nothing but a thin sheet, her big brown eyes clouded with worry. Damn, if he wasn't such a weak man! But he had to try.

"Kiyone, this can't go on. He knows. You're his sister; we can't do this anymore." He recalled the day he told Tohru how he used her to break the curse. Never again, he swore to himself, did he ever want to see that look she gave him. Sadly, that look was staring right at him. It was like all those years of deception and manipulation came back and bit him in the ass. He, Sohma Shigure, actually felt guilty. And the feeling only multiplied when her lip quivered and her eyes hardened. "Usotsuki," she whispered, "you're lying to me." Why was it so hard to breathe? She was suffocating.

That did it.

He grabbed her and held her close, his face buried in her hair. "You're right. Gomen nasai, gomen nasai. I am lying; I don't want it to end." As she pulled away from him, his heart pounded in alarm. Was this rejection? Apparently not. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders and used her free hand to force his head down for a kiss. The kiss itself was intense, but Shigure could feel her trembling. Gentling the kiss, he lay them both back down onto the bed and gave her an apologetic smile. "Gomen nasai, Kiyo-chan."

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Hatori was torn between killing Shigure and laughing at him. His sister was wearing one of the mutt's yukatas and had her arm wrapped around his waist. She kept giving him both goofy smiles and worried looks. Sweet as it was, it was a little disturbing.

"Exactly how long has this been going on?"

Kiyone ran from the room, "Be right back! I'll just go make us some tea!" Shigure glared at her as she ran and mumbled, "Coward," then looked up to give Hatori his signature wouldn't-you-like-to-know smile. Hatori gave him a cold, emotionless look. "When. Did. It. Start?" Sighing in defeat, Shigure ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "The day after Katsu-chan was born. Haa-kun, I won't stop seeing her."

Instead of the arrogant attitude Hatori was used to seeing, he was shocked at the amount of guilt in his cousin's eyes. However, he still didn't speak. "Honestly Haa-kun, I tried to break things off after you called, but…" He groaned in utter agony, "I swear it was like I broke her. But even then…Even then, she knew I didn't want it to stop." Looking into Hatori's eyes, he was surprised to find both shock and relief reflecting in them. But what really threw him off was the light chuckle that escaped that disappointed frown.

"Haa-kun, what's so—"

"Gomen! The tea took a while to make and—eh?! Tori-nii, what's so funny? Shii-kun?" She looked from her brother to her lover, utterly confused at the situation she had just stepped into. Hatori stood, and ruffled her hair. "I'll see you later tonight, right?" He meant the big welcome home dinner for Tohru.

Kiyone blinked, then nodded with a smile. "Hai!" The last thing Hatori saw as he left the house was his sister launching herself at Shigure. "He said it's okay!" He smiled sadly. He was happy for them; really, he was. But that didn't stop him from envying what they had.

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"Kyo! I'm home!" Kazuma entered the house, his hand linked with that of his young lover. He smiled at that. Honestly, it should have disturbed him that she was his son's age, but he didn't care. Everything about them clashed, but it still worked. As if reading his mind—well, more like his waves—Saki gave him a gentle hug, sighing softly as he held her close. "What is it, koi?" He chuckled when she blushed at the pet name. Ah, she sure was precious. "Saki," he caught her chin and forced her to look up at him. He saw her smile and returned it with a tender kiss.

"SHISHOU!" Kyo was in shock. Sure, he knew about his father's relationship, but that didn't mean he had to see it. "Daddy, what're you yelling about..?" Katsumi could only stare at the woman in black. "Are you…Hanachan-san?" Saki could only chuckle, "Hai." Katsumi resembled Tohru in so many ways; one being her manners. She felt a curious shifting in her stomach, but chose to ignore it. "Would you like a hug, Katsu-chan?" She held out her arms, ignoring the fatigue she was feeling.

Katsumi ran into her arms, hugging her for all she was worth. "Mama told me lots and lots of stories about you and Uochan-san!" Saki nodded, but she felt uneasy. "I'm sure she did, Katsu-chan. We're having dinner at Shigure's tonight. Uo-chan will be there." With a smile, she let the child go and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later, ok?" She was going to be sick, and she knew exactly why.

"Excuse me…" she ran for the bathroom, her hand covering her mouth. Kazuma paused, a frown on his face. "Kyo? Why don't you and Katsumi head over to Ayaa's shop? That way, you can pick up Tohru and head over to Sensei's." Not waiting for a reply, he ran after her.

He found her leaning over the sink, her body shaking. He heard her sniffle and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Tell me what's wrong, Saki." She turned and buried her face into his chest and shook her head. "Kazuma, I…" she shook her head again but managed to look up at him with a watery smile. "I…have something to tell you…"

**A/N: CLIFFY!!**

…**..not.**

Kazuma smiled and ran his fingers through her hair, "Don't look so worried, koi. Whatever you tell me, you know I love you." She grinned as she went on tip-toe to kiss him. "I'm pregnant," she whispered against his lips.

Whatever reaction she was expecting, this wasn't one of them. He kissed her. But this kiss was different from their usual ones; this one was all passion. She could tell by the way he held her. Or was it because he kept saying "I love you" over and over again? Either way, she was happy.

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"Mama!" Kyo watched his daughter run into the arms of her mother. He watched her reaction, saw the happiness on her face, the apologetic glance at him. _Would I still be mad at her if I _did_ know?_

He didn't know.

_I love Kyo-kun…_

Her words…those words from long ago still haunted him. And they still meant something to him.

"Go on, Katsu-chan. Mine-san is waiting for you."

Tohru smiled at the way her child took off to find Mine.

"Tohru," she froze at the sound of his voice, and felt the sudden urge to run as far away as possible. However, before she could even try, he caught her up in his arms. "Tohru, Tohru." He whispered against her cheek; smiled when she threw her arms around him with a sob/laugh. "Kyo-kun!"

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The house was bursting with laughter. Uo held a crying Tohru as she laughed, "Didn't I tell you before? I love you, you idiot!" Kureno bent down to whisper something in her ear. She smacked his arm playfully. "But I am being serious!"

Shigure laughed, dropping a kiss to Kiyone's temple. Katsumi was sitting on her lap, the two of them engaged in a serious discussion about leeks. Kyo was near the kitchen, chatting with Yuki and Machi about the day's events. But Kazuma, Saki, Hatori, and Akito were yet to arrive.

They didn't have to wait long.

They all went silent when they heard Akito's worried voice. "Hana-chan, you should be resting at home!" Followed by Hatori's: "She's right. We shouldn't have let you come in your condition—" Kazuma laughed, "Hatori, we're already here. It's too late to make her go back."

The four of them walked through the door, Saki's hand clutched in Akito's. "A-chan, I'm fine," she greeted the others with a smile. "Kazuma and I have wonderful news."

Kyo peered from around the corner, and felt his stomach flip. His father hugged Saki close, his hand resting on her stomach. His jaw hit the floor.

"We're having a baby!"

Before he could do a face-plant onto the floor, he felt slender arms hold him from behind. He knew it was Tohru from the way she held him. Sighing, he took her hand, and tugged so that she could see him. She smiled, then went to congratulate her best friend. Kyo rolled his eyes, _Aw, screw it! It's not like Shishou is gonna abandon me._ He joined them, and even teased his father about learning to change diapers.

Kiyone, unlike everyone else, was oddly quiet. This blew her plans out of the window. Noticing her behavior, Hatori cleared his throat. "Kiyone, why don't we put you in charge of Saki's prenatal care?" She stayed silent, chewing her bottom lip.

"Iie."

They all look at Saki, and Hatori frowned. "Nani? Why not?" Kiyone laughed nervously, "Uh…eheheh…of course I will!" she sent the younger woman a pleading glance.

"Iie."

Tohru frowned as well. "Eh? But why Hana-chan? Kiyone-san has a lot of free time to—"

"Iie, Tohru-chan. She does not." Saki smirked at Kiyone's worried expression. "Not when she has her own child to take care of."

Three.

Two.

One.

"NANI?!" The house practically exploded with questions, while Kiyone tried to hide behind her brother—who, by the way, was too busy glaring at Shigure.

"Saaaaaaaaaaakiiiiiiiii!" Kiyone whined in distress. "I was planning on telling everyone _later_!" Shigure, who finally understood what was happening, glared down at her. "When were you planning to tell _me_?!" She stared at her feet, "Uh…I…don't know. Um, eventually..?"

Sighing heavily, he leaned down to kiss her, and then knelt to kiss her belly. "Hello, in there. This is your father speaking. Don't kick around too much in there; your mother kicks me enough in her sleep." They all laughed, but Saki grinned slyly. "Oh, I don't think talking to them will make them kick less."

The room went dead quiet, and Kiyone looked pale. "Th-Them? A-Are you saying that I'm going to be having t-t-twi—"

"TWINS?! YOU GAVE MY SISTER TWINS?!" Hatori glowered at his shocked cousin. Poor Shigure was completely numb. _Him?_ A _father?_ Oh, boy…

"DAMN RIGHT, I DID!" He lifted Kiyone into his arms and spun her around in circles. As he put her down, his hand covered her belly. "Those better be boys in there!" He laughed hysterically, ignoring the stares his family was giving him.

Saki tugged on Hatori's sleeve. At his questioning glance, she whispered, "By their waves, I think one of them might be a girl."

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**A/N: So…long. I took me SO LONG to get this chapter done! Ah, but lucky for you, I get my inspiration during French class, which means I write more, which means you SHALL REVIEW MORE!! Weird, huh? Mai c'est la vie, oui?**


	11. Go to Hell

**A/N: Scooooooooooooore!!!! My madre said I can use the compooter when I finish a chapter! Sadly, we all know that it takes me a while to get it done.**

**Anyhoo, I noticed I have a tendency to use a lot of OCs…meaning, there's three more on the way! But seriously, that's it. Oh…and before I forget…I killed of Rin. I got nothing against her; really, I don't. My personality nearly rivals hers. But the truth is one of my friends—her pen name is Zirrith—pointed out that Haru never went Black on her. And so, I was like: "Holy freakin' crap, you're right!" So buh-bye Rin! (No, she didn't die a tragic-ish death…you know, cuz of all her internal problems…she, uh….well, she died!) **

**Also, this takes place about a month before the 2****nd**** anniversary of her death…**

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The following week after the big dinner was filled with plans. One: Shigure's house had been extended. Why? Because A: Tohru and Kyo's old rooms were being combined; B: Yuki had suggested that Machi move in with them; and C: Kiyone was moving in, which meant a nursery had to be built for the oncoming babies. **(A/N: Squuuueeeeee!!!)**

Ah, and speaking of the lovely couples…

"Tohru-chaaaaan, what's for lunch? I'm starving?" Shigure sat at the table, watching Katsumi draw caricatures of their family. He grinned when Tohru came running from the kitchen, Kyo right behind her. The orange-top glared at him, "You mean _dinner_ you moron!" Four years hadn't changed much about Shigure, or his sleeping cycle. The old dog pouted, "But for me, this _is_ lunch. Kiyo-chan ate all the food before I could even get to it!"

Shaking her head, Tohru laughed at his foolishness. "Lunch will be served in a few minutes." She winked at him, then headed back into the kitchen. Kyo sighed at their shenanigans and sat beside his daughter. She was wearing a nightie, one of Tohru's newest products off her Little Plumb line. It was plain cream-colored cotton, with pink bows at the hem and tiny bells sewn onto the ends of the sleeves. But what really made him smile was the plumb print on the back.

**::Flashback::**

_You have one too. A plumb, I mean._

_Eh?! Really?!_

_Yeah, but it's real small. It's a little plumb._

_I love little plumbs!_

**::End Flashback::**

He chuckled as he took up a crayon, and started to draw with her. It didn't take long for him to notice that she was dozing off.

"Lunch is ready!" Tohru came in, her arms filled with a bowl of soba noodles. Shigure cleared the table, setting aside the insane drawings of an overly-large Kiyone beside Kyo, who now stood with his child in his arms. "Katsumi's knocked out. I'm just going to put her to bed." She nodded and put the food down. Watching them go, she sighed happily and looked over at Shigure, who was constantly glancing in the direction of his and Kiyone's room. "Tohru-chan, do you think you could go wake up Kiyo-chan? She must be hungry." And she probably was, considering she was now eating for three.

Before Tohru could even take a step, Kiyone walked in with a yawn. "No need to. I'm right here." She was also wearing a nightie, but a more adult one. She stretched lazily, one hand reaching for the ceiling; the other resting on her slightly bulging belly, before plopping down beside the father of her unborn children. "Ohayo, Shii-kun." She smiled lazily and rested her head against his shoulder. "Do me a favor and feed me." She yawned again, reaching for his wrist to intercept the noodles he was about to eat. "Woman eats like a horse…" he muttered under his breath as she took a mouthful.

Kiyone swallowed, "Iie, you children eat like a horse." She opened her mouth for another bite, "I eat like a normal person." He scowled, mimicking her in a whiny voice: "_'I eat like a normal person.'_ No you don't!" He rubbed his face with his hands, "Tohru-chan, you didn't eat this much did you?"

She shook her head, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Unh-uh." She watched him sigh in relief before giving Kiyone a wink. "But then again, I wasn't having twins." Shigure groaned, "I knew you two were plotting my downfall behind my back, but this is too much!" He sighed dramatically, and was promptly smacked upside the head by Kyo, who had just come back down. "Baka."

He sat beside Tohru, a smile on his face as he ate and watched her talk. When he had tucked in Katsumi, he noticed a cat ornament on the nightstand; the same cat that Tohru had made back in high school. Absently, he took her hand in his as he tuned back into the conversation.

"…is Yuki-kun and Machi-chan?" Kiyone was saying as she kept stealing Shigure's food. Tohru giggled at Shigure's pouting. "They're having dinner at Komaki-san's place. She just got a job as an intern at the hospital." The other woman stared up at the ceiling for a moment, "Ah, now that I think of it, I got a call from Johji-kun earlier today. He and Mi-chan are coming over for a visit tomorrow. Apparently, Kozue-chan is being released from the hospital."

"Really? But will that be alright what with Hatsuharu-san coming over as well?" Silence. That _would_ be a problem. In some ways, Kozue was a lot like Rin. But that would be hard on Haru since Rin had passed away only a year ago, and the second year was coming up. Could they risk hurting his feelings and releasing Black Haru?

"Un, I think she'll be good for him. He needs to move on from all those flings he's been having. You know, settle down for a bit." Tohru chewed her lower lip; she wasn't so sure. Isuzu's death had been hard on her too; so for them to bring in someone like _her…_ "If you say so. But if Haru-san gets hurt..?" Her brows furrowed at Kiyone's frown. "What is it?" The older woman shrugged. "I don't know. I'm actually more worried about Kozue-chan getting hurt." Tohru nodded; she had a point.

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Haru smiled at Katsumi as she showed him the pictures he drew. He especially liked the one of a wide Shigure; it was highly accurate. But what really made his morning was seeing Tohru zone out with a sad smile. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one still hurting.

"Mama! Mama, I think there's someone at the door!" Katsumi pulled her mother's hand, practically dragging her. The door slid open, and the two of them found themselves in a bear hug. Katsumi giggled, "Johji-san! Michan-san!" Tohru laughed as well, and lead them to the table where Haru was sitting.

Haru could only stare. And here he thought his family had strange hair. The man was tall like Hatori, but had red, spiky hair. He wore faded jeans, and a simple black T-shirt. He had stormy grey eyes that contrasted against his laid-back demeanor. The woman had the same colored hair, but it had black streaks and reached her shoulders. She looked more mature, with her blue skirt and white dress shirt. She was only a few inches shorter than the man, and had brown eyes. And she was currently holding Katsumi with a smile.

Tohru introduced them, "Hatsuharu-san, these are my friends: Yukido Johji and Michiko." Her smile faded as she glanced around behind them. "Where's Kozue-san?" Johji sighed, "She's coming. She just sprained her ankle so she's a little slow—"

"Shut up. I'm right here." Kozue strode in, limping slightly as she stabbed her brother in the arm with her finger. "You're the one who _told_ me to take it easy, Johji-nii."

Haru blinked. So they were all related? That couldn't be. This girl was completely different. Where their hair was red, hers was black with teal streaks and her eyes were green. Plus, her style was way off from theirs too. She wore broken-in, faded denim jeans and a baby-blue tank-top under an overly huge green striped sweater that hung off one shoulder and hung past her knees. She was shorter than the both of them; she barely even reached Johji's shoulder.

"Oi…what's all the noise?" Shigure strolled in mid-yawn, Kiyone right behind him. She looked exhausted, her hair rumpled; however, any trace of said exhaustion vanished when she saw them. "Johji-kun! Mi-chan!" She launched herself at them, successfully glomping them without hurting her or her unborn children.

Kozue's eye twitched. "Hel-lo! What am I, chopped liver?" She limped over to the fallen group, wincing at every other step. It got to the point where she just stopped and sat down.

…next to Haru.

They stared at each other in silence, until she tilted her head to the side. "Is that your natural hair color?" Without asking for permission, she reached out and ran her fingers through his soft hair. He caught her wrist in a firm grip, equally loathing/enjoying the tingling pleasure that shot from his scalp to his toes. Had he no shame? Didn't he still love Rin? How could he react so strongly from just her touch?

She gave him a gentle smile, "So it is real." He released her, his own hand straying to touch her hair. It was soft, short and long. It reached past her shoulders to the middle of her back in choppy, uneven layers. "So is yours." He gave a smile of his own. "I'm Haru. Sohma Haru." This time, it was she who took his wrist. Her hand could barely fit all the way around it as she gently forced it down away from her. "I'm Kozue. Nice to meet you, Haru-kun."

Meanwhile….

Tohru had left with Katsumi to go to work, leaving Johji and Michiko to chat with Kiyone and Shigure. Kiyone smirked, "Well, well. They're getting along perfectly." She flicked her gaze over to Kozue and Haru. Operation: Make Him Move On was on its way to success!

"Kozue!"

Or not.

Kozue flinched and dropped Haru's wrist. She turned her gaze away to face her brother, so Haru wouldn't see the fear in her eyes. "What, Johji?" She glared at her brother, her body tense.

"Go home. You should be resting, not messing around." Wrong thing to say. She stood, anger dulling the pain from her ankle as she strode over to him. "Go to Hell." Seeing the tell-tale signs of an all-out war, Michiko pulled Kiyone and Shigure back to where Haru was sitting. "Sorry, but it's best to stay out of the line of fire."

"You were just released from the hospital, _again_."

"Shut up."

"_After_ you fell down three flights of stairs—"

"Shut up!"

She clenched a fist and him in the shoulder. He didn't even flinch, but caught her fist at the last moment, using his other hand to pull back her sleeve. Ugly, purple bruises marred her pale skin. She tried to pull away, but Johji held on. "Did you really think I'd believe that all you injured was your ankle?! Just how stupid do you think I am, Kozue?!"

_Snap!_

Tension broke as Kozue jerked her arm out of his grasp. She was shaking, and her voice trembled. "What's that, a trick question?" Her eyes were feverish as she took a step forward, "You think I didn't know? You think I'm stupid enough not to see it?!" Her voice rose and her lips trembled. "You think I can't tell how you're faking everything?! You're no better than _HER!_ KNOWING I'M THERE, BUT PRETENDING YOU CARE!" She whirled around, the heel of her foot solidly connecting with his chest. He went down hard, his hand rubbing the now sore spot on his chest.

"Kozue!" Michiko was about to go to them, but was stopped by Johji's raised hand. "Don't, Mi-chan." He stared up at his other sister, who was busy glaring and—ah…

"You're wrong, Kozue. I _do_ care." He stood so that he towered over her. "And you care too." This time, she punched him in the face. "No, I don't!" As her fist withdrew after the attack, his hand caught her chin. "Then why are you crying?" He thumbed away the tears from her cheek, and watched those liquid eyes go wide with shock.

Smacking his hand away, she turned and ran for the nearest exit; the backyard. They watched her stumble off the porch, then fall to the ground. But that didn't stop her from forcing herself to stand and run off into the woods.

Michiko ran to her brother, checking if he was alright. Kiyone sighed as she gave in to anger. Stomping over to the Yukido siblings, she jabbed a finger into Johji's chest, eyes narrowing as he winced from the pain. "You," her eyes darted to Michiko to include her in her rant, "both of you need to start talking. You," she cocked her head in Shigure's direction, "Shut up. Be grateful your house wasn't destroyed. Haru," she didn't even have to look to know he was putting on his shoes. "Go get her. Don't worry. If she snaps on you, do _something_; bring out your Black side for all I care, just get her back here." She heard him leave, and waited a few seconds before she rounded on her friends. "You two have _a lot_ of explaining to do…"

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**A/N: Wow….pretty dramatic there. But at least I made it longer. Don't worry; I'll squeeze in more Tohru/Kyo and Kazuma/Saki in the next two chapters. Next chapter: Ch. 13 Stay With Me**


	12. Bringing Out the Kuro in One Another

**A/N: Oh geez, I am soooo sorry for making you guys wait for so long. Sadly, this is all I could come up with what with this being my senior year and the SATs and ACTs coming up.**

_11:50 AM Sohma Karate Dojo_

"Mama, where's Daddy?" Katsumi stood with her mother at the entrance to the dojo. Before her mother could answer, she saw her father—who was busy instructing a group of young-uns. (A/N: lol sorry. Couldn't resist that part) Quicker than a flash of lightning, she left Tohru's side and ran for Kyo. "Daddy!" He was in mid-turn when she jumped into his arms and latched onto him like a monkey. Kyo froze, then smiled. "Katsumi-chan…" Sighing, he turned to his students. "That's all for today. See you next week."

One of his students stayed while the others left. He stood there with a faint sneer. "Daddy?" His sneer was bitter but his eyes were kind as he saw Tohru come forward. "Oi, onna. Is this the reason why you left?" He chuckled when she shrieked with surprise.

"H-Hiro-san! Ah…ano…hai. This is me and Kyo's daughter, Katsumi." He nodded. "I see. Well, I'm going on home. Bye Kyo-shishou. Onna." He left quietly and glanced back at them. _This'll put a smile on Kisa's face,_ he thought to himself.

_Same Time, Shigure's House_

Kiyone sat beside Shigure, nails tapping out a restless rhythm on the table. "Where _are_ they?" Her fiancé covered her hand with his, stilling the impatient movement. "Kiyo-chan, be patient. I'm sure Haru-kun is on his was back—"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Johji put his head into his hands, "Kami have mercy," he mumbled against his skin, "Anything but Kuro Kozue."

_On The Path Back To Shigure's…_

"Haru-kun, please. I just need to be alone and I'm sorry for yelling at you." Kozue kept her back to him, desperately trying to reign in her black side.

…and was failing miserably.

She found herself face-to-face with Haru, his onyx eyes calm and accepting. "Its ok if you need to yell. Let it all out." He watched those eyes darken to a forest green as she chewed on her bottom lip. "I _can't._" Her body was taut with tension and she resisted the urge to slap him. _And stop acting like you know how I feel!_

"I do know how you feel."

Her jaw dropped. "I-I said that _out loud?!_" She watched a slow grin appear on his face. Bad move. "Don't fucking laugh at me!" She pushed at him, which was pretty unsuccessful considering he didn't even move, but that didn't stop her tantrum. "I can't stand being here with people like you and him and—"

Enter Kuro Haru.

She winced as his hands shackled her wrists. "Don't assume you know shit about me, little girl." See her eyes widen, he let her go, only to be kicked in the ribs. "I can assume all I want, dammit!"

Again, bad move but on her side of course. Haru grabbed her calf, wrapping it around his hip so that she was pressed intimately against him. She blushed furiously and tried to push him away. "Let go of me!" He shook his head and backed her up against a tree. "No. Not until you calm down. Or are you enjoying this as much as I am?" His eyes had a wicked gleam in them, making her fight harder at trying to escape him. "No!" He grinned, but the gleam dimmed as he took her other leg around his hip. "Admit it, you're enjoying this."

_Slaaaaap!_

Both of them froze in shock. Kozue could only gaze in horror upon the hand-shaped red mark forming on the right side of Haru's face. He looked ready to kill her, but before he could carry out whatever vengeance he was planning, she shocked him by burying her face in her hands and sobbed as if her world had fell apart.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's not your fault, it's mine! It's always my fault! I didn't mean to—" She turned her face away, adamantly refusing to look him in the eye. Haru, on the other hand, could only stare at her with what felt like understanding. She was so much like Rin, yet not too much. She was stubborn and believed she was at fault, yet she forced out his black side. With Rin, he never dared to let out Kuro Haru; he was too afraid of what would happen. Apparently, letting him out with her was doing more good than bad. He was being given a chance to start over with a different girl. A girl he didn't have to be afraid of never being able to hold her. And hold her he did.

Kozue stiffened. He held her with such gentleness, such caring that it made her want to hit something. (A/N: yes, she's weird like that. Being comforted makes me just as mad) "Shh, you don't have to be sorry for something you didn't mean to do." He whispered against her skin. She shivered, for his lips were kissing away her tears. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I pushed you, and made you cry—" It was his turn to go still as she willing wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She turned her head so that they're foreheads touched and their lips were a breath apart. Just barely, she shook her head, her lips so close to brushing his. "Iie. This is a good cry." She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. "I haven't had a good cry in years. Arigato, Haru-kun." She whispered, then shivered as he kissed her softly, gently. It was a chaste kiss, not a burning, passionate kiss that she expected from a guy like him. He moved them away from the tree and shifted her in his arms so that he carried her bridal style. He waited until she fell asleep before whispering back, "Then I'll have to make sure that all your tears are happy tears." He kissed her temple, and, as his head rose, her hand brushed the side of his face. His eyes met her sleep-dazed ones, then took in the sight of her poutful smile.

"I'd like to see you try."

**A/N: I know, I know. I said that I would explain about Kozue's family problems but this turned out to be such a cute chapter that I didn't have the heart to put in that kind of drama. But hey, at least I updated right?**

**Au revoir!**


	13. Because I Love You

**A/N: So I came up with a New Year's resolution that had nothing to do with applying for college: I will update! And look! I am. **

**And for those of you who asked for more Kyo/Tohru, you so get it in this chapter. **

_1:30 PM Kyo's House_

Katsumi lay on the couch, knocked out from running around chasing her father. Her mother hovered above her, tucking a stray lock of orange hair behind her daughter's ear. She'd never seen her child so happy; not since Hatori gave her her first lollipop. Strong arms embraced her from behind, spreading tingling warmth from her scalp to her toes. Turning to face the father of her child, Tohru snuggled into his warmth and inhaled his scent.

It hadn't changed.

Sure, he was older now; they both were. But his natural scent, the smell that reminded her of home was still there. She always thought it was silly and cute, but…he smelled like the rain. If rain had a scent, then it was Kyo. Of course it was pretty ironic with him being year of the cat and hating the rain. Still, it _was_ cute.

"What're you thinking about?" His voice caressed her skin like silk. She wondered if he was aware of just what he did to her. She doubted it. "You, of course." She smiled against his shirt, grinning when she heard a catch in his breath. "I missed you, Kyo-kun."

He pulled away from her and took her by the hand. "Kyo-kun?" She looked so confused, but he didn't say a word. He led her down the hall to his room and quickly shut the door. They sat on his bed in silence until Kyo caressed her cheek with his hand. "Tohru…Why did you leave me?"

Tohru felt her heart speed up, felt that awful pain she first experienced when she had left him. Forcing herself to look into his eyes, she found herself unable to speak. There was so much pain in his eyes; it hurt to look at him. And yet behind the pain, she could see endless patience. Hope flared in her heart and she took a deep breath.

"I was confused, Kyo-kun. I didn't know if I was even ready to have a baby. Gomen, Kyo-kun. I should've asked how you felt before running away." She fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Why? Why did he have to look so understanding? She gave in to her tears and stared down at the bed covers.

Kyo couldn't find it in him to be angry with her. If she _had_ told him, he wasn't entirely sure what he would have done. Leaning forward, he kissed away her tears with a smile. "It's alright. I should have remembered how fast you run when you're scared. Especially if you think I would reject you." She blushed a dark shade of pink and covered her face with her fingers. "I can't believe you would bring that up, Kyo-kun."

He chuckled, "You don't have to hide from me, Tohru." Gently moving her hands aside, he kissed her. Brushing aside her tears, he whispered, "Don't cry, Tohru. Don't cry." He kissed her again, his hand on her waist as he pressed her back onto the bed. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she kissed him back, putting all her guilt and sorrow into it. His lips left hers, leaving butterfly kisses along the smooth column of her neck down to the neckline of her shirt. He paused, listening for her to tell him to stop. She only sniffled and whispered his name. "Kyo-kun."

"Tohru…" He stripped her of her shirt slowly; when he lifted the hem higher, he kissed her bare skin and nuzzled its softness. She mewled softly and allowed him to unhook her bra. She didn't feel shy or nervous to let him see her topless. _This is Kyo-kun. He would never hurt me._ She trusted him; she had always trusted him. His cheek nuzzled her breast and she gasped as the sensation. One hand massaged the other, forcing out quiet moan from her lips.

She was lost in sensation. She had missed this. Missed the way he touched and held her. His free hand gently removed her skirt and panties; she shivered from the cold air that made contact with her heated skin. Kyo was kissing down her belly, tongue lightly dipping into her navel. She giggled and he smiled. "Still ticklish, Tohru?" He did it again, and this time she laughed. Smirking, his lips trailed lower until her laughter quickly turned into a moan.

He took his time with her, inserting a single finger into her only to slowly withdraw and gently thrust the digit back into her. He glanced at her face and found her in a state of bliss. Her eyes were glazed with desire, and her lower lip was caught between her teeth as she stifled her whimpers. Taking pity on her, he withdrew completely and moved to take off his own clothes. It only took a few moments until he was pressed against her, skin to skin. Lacing his fingers with hers he smiled down at her and was rewarded with a kind smile.

"Ashiteru, Kyo-kun. I love you."

He closed his eyes and rested his head in the crook of her neck as he slowly penetrated her. He breathed slowly, forcing himself to take his time. She was so tight and warm and wet. He shuddered as she took all of him; he nearly lost control when he felt her thighs tighten around his hips.

Honestly, Tohru felt that his patience was endearing and kind of him, but that didn't help settle the slow, burning heat that pooled low in her belly. So when he started to with draw, she lifted her hips to follow him and was more than pleased when he let out a groan. She grinned as he struggled to keep a slow pace, but she didn't want slow; her hips rose to meet his thrusts and she moaned. "More…"

Kyo tried to be gentle. Really, he did. But the moment she moaned that word, he felt his control snap. He could practically hear the metaphorical chain break as he let go, thrusting deep, deeper. He couldn't hold on. This was supposed to be about her. Tohru's pleasure came first, not his. Fortunately, Tohru didn't care. Already, she was close so it didn't matter whose pleasure came first.

"Kyo-kun…I…I'm—" He sealed his lips over hers, swallowing her cry as she came, her body feeling as though it had exploded into a thousand wonderful pieces of mind-numbing pleasure. He followed after her, reaching his own climax that felt like a wave of dazzling heat. He shuddered against her, but managed to lean onto his elbows for support. "I love you, Tohru."

Looking at her face, it took him a moment to realize she was sleeping. Chuckling, he kissed her cheek and rose from the bed to clean up in the bathroom. When he returned to her, he was surprised to find her dressed and staring at him from his bed.

"I thought you were sleeping."

She shook her head. I woke up and you weren't there." He walked over to her and gave her a chaste kiss. "Gomen." She smiled and stood. Tilting her head to the side, she looked up into his fiery eyes. "Hold me?" He chuckled softly as he embraced her. "You don't have to ask, dummy."

"Why?" She cuddled against him, eyes closed.

"Because I love you."

**A/N: Smut really isn't my thing, but I tried. R&R**


	14. Do Not Mess With A Pregnant Woman

**A/N: It sure has been awhile…. And I'm sure you guys missed me! XD And damn…I never thought my story would get this far.**

**Sweet. **

**(Belated) Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine.**

**So where were we?**

**OliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOlOiOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOlOiOliOliOliOliOli**

_2:00 pm Shigure's house_

Haru held Kozue to him for much longer than he needed to. He became aware of this when her older brother was staring him down and Kiyone pointed to cushion by the table.

"Sit."

He sat. Everyone knew better than to defy a pissed off pregnant woman. Her level of scary-ness topped even that of Akito. Shigure took the seat beside him and winked.

Kuro Haru thought about punching him.

Shiro Haru felt like agreeing.

Angry, pregnant Kiyone felt like murdering them all.

"Johji, Michiko, sit your sorry-asses down!" Shigure's fiancée rubbed her belly while pacing back and forth. "So sorry, if I sound upset but you pain-in-the-ass Yukido kids better explain what the _fuck_ Kozue's tantrum was about, capiche?!"

"Ka…what?" Shigure scratched his head. He'd heard that word somewhere…

"SHUT UP!"

The mother of his unborn twins screeched. She was fed up with his whining and complaining and damn it, she deserved to bitch about anything.

Johji coughed, drawing everyone's attention—save Kozue who was currently knocked out—and elbowed his sister. "As you," he looked up at the furious Kiyone, "and Shigure-san know, Kozue is our half sister. Our father had a mistress and well…she was the end result."

Michiko smacked his arm. "Don't say that! You make her sound like…like some kind of mistake!" The others nodded their heads in agreement.

The oldest Yukido rolled his eyes. "_Anyway,_ when Kozue's mother passed on, our father took her into the family. But our own mother didn't agree with his decision." He looked towards his younger sister. He didn't know how to say the next part without sounding like a prick.

"Baka," Michiko muttered before patting his hand. "Haha-ue immediately disagreed, but made Chichi-ue believe that she was happy to have another child. So she played the act of a mother towards Kozue. She always showered her with love whenever Chichi-ue was around, but when he was on a business trip or at work…"

Mr. Prick just had to open his mouth: "Haha-ue _hated_ Kozue. When our father wasn't around she would threaten Kozue with the orphanage or tell her lies about her own mother. She would traumatize her endlessly, day and night. It got to the point where Kozue snapped—ouch!"

Michiko punched his arm. "Some Mr. Sensitive _you_ are."

"You know they won't understand if we sugar-coat it."

"_Continue, please._" Kiyone was still seething with rage; Johji got the hint.

"What happened, Johji-san?" Shigure was curious to see how much bad news Haru could take until he snapped. He could already see his younger cousin reigning in his darker side.

Haru tired not to smother Kozue, but his hands kept clenching into fists. He didn't like where this was going.

"Chichi-ue found out and wouldn't listen to Kozue when she tried to tell him. He put Haha-ue in charge of taking care of her. He told her to make her see a psychiatrist, only Haha-ue didn't listen." It was the first time that Kiyone had seen her old friend look so tired, so…defeated.

"Haha-ue had her put in a mental institution. None of us knew where she was for months until Chichi-ue demanded to know why she couldn't make it to his birthday."

"Knowing her, of course, Haha-ue told him that his daughter needed the extra help and he believed her." Michiko snapped out.

Haru stood, clutching Kozue tighter to him. "We're leaving." He ground out the words to keep himself from yelling.

"Wait a minute! You can't just take our sister—" Johji started to say but was stopped by his sister's hand. Glaring down at her, she followed her gaze to Kiyone and gulped.

"Yes, he can. Get out, Hatsuharu. You too, Michiko. You're brother and I have more to talk about."

**OliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOlOiOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOlOiOliOliOliOliOli**

Haru left the house in a rush, his head ducked down as he stared angrily down at Kozue's peaceful face. He had to get her away from her family. To hell with his feelings about betraying Rin. He knew she would have wanted him to help this girl and by Kami he would. He all but ran out of the forest to his car. He had to stay calm. Letting out Kuro Haru now would only endanger her and he couldn't let that happen.

She needed him.

**OliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOlOiOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOlOiOliOliOliOliOli**

_2:50 pm_

Kyo winced as his daughter yanked at his hair; maybe letting her ride on his shoulders was a bad idea after all. Tohru merely chuckled beside him and helped support Katsumi's back with her hand.

"Do you think they'll be alright with us visiting?" He glanced down at the woman he loved and watched her smile.

"Maybe they will, maybe they won't. We'll know when we get there. After all Kyo-kun, this _is_ a surprise visit." She skipped ahead like a kid and hummed to herself.

Kyo smiled as well. Tohru had become very wise…meaning, she got smarter. Katsumi yanked on his hair again and he flinched. "Katsu-chan…"

"Faster Daddy! I wanna catch Mommy!"

Rolling his eyes, he got a better hold of his child and dashed forward. "Hold on, Katsu-chan!"

He ran after Tohru with a grin and almost crashed into her when they made it to the house.

"What the—Tohru, what is it?"

She pressed a finger to his lips and gestured him to be quiet. Acting as ridiculously sneaky as possible, she slid the door open.

…and was met with a blast of rage.

Kiyone's voice alone was practically making the house tremble.

"…dare to call yourself the Head of the family?! You lazy-ass son of a—"

Kyo put down his daughter and quickly covered her ears. His wide eyes met Tohru's own and the two of them remained silent from shock.

"It's not like I could have _done_ anything!" Johji shouted back.

"SHUT UP! You were supposed to be her brother. What kind of brother lets his sister get tortured by his own mother, who just happens to be a vindictive _BITCH?!_"

Shigure leaned back in his chair, knowing better than to interfere; he decided on waiting it out.

"Don't you call my mother a bitch! Look at _yours_!"

"At least _mine_ wasn't much different than Kozue's!"

She had him there. If he said anything else, it would be the same as insulting Kozue's mother.

"I'm leaving."

"Get out!"

They both shouted at each other. He left without another word and she whirled to glare at Shigure.

"You. Our room. Massage. Now."

Her fiancé, being the dog he was, immediately obeyed. He knew better than to push her buttons when she was this aggravated. Their bedroom door slid shut with a quiet click.

Kyo lifted Katsumi back into his arms and took Tohru by the hand. They quietly left the house. Tohru looked up at him and grinned sheepishly.

"I think today was a bad day for a surprise visit."

They laughed together; the kind of quiet laugh that two people in love usually shared.

**OliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOlOiOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOliOlOiOliOliOliOliOli**

**A/N: Not bad, ne? I'm a little rusty when it comes to Fruits Basket, but I'm getting back on track.**

**God…that sounded so corny XD**

**You know the deal, R&R please!**


	15. Quirky Couples

**A/N: -dodges debris- I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I ran out of inspiration for this story, but recently my muse—which happens to be a perverted floating head hidden behind a fan who coincidentally looks like Shigure—has started speaking to me again. I'm not sure if I can write full chapters anymore, so I'll make do with short drabbles separated by their titles in italics.**

_Innocence _

Katsumi spun in a circle underneath the shade of a sakura tree, Hiro and Kisa babysitting her for the day. Tohru was working and Kyo was teaching a sparring lesson—which roughly translated to beating the cocky kids into submission. From their picnic blanket, Kisa held a small bowl and a bubble wand; everyone loved bubbles no matter what their age.

"Argh! Kisa, my _eyes_!"

Well, everyone except Hiro. He was just an all-around grumpy pants.

"Uncle Hiro," Katsumi kissed both her hands and pressed it over his eyes. "You're not s'pose to pop them with your eyes! You'll get more owwies that way."

"Kisa…" Hiro tried really hard not to glare at his long-time girlfriend; that would be inappropriate in front of Katsumi. "Just…_don't_ say anything."

She didn't have to since she was too busy giggling before glomping both Hiro and Katsumi. "You're both so _cute!"_

"Ack!"

"Auntie Kisa! You're _heavy!"_

_Killing You Softly…Or at Least Trying To_

It took some intense trial and error to figure out Kozue. On the outside, she was a prickly porcupine with the temper of a starving bear fresh out of hibernation. But on the inside…she was an insecure little girl who treasured the simple things. It was times like these when Haru became grateful for his years of training in martial arts since dodging a variety of inanimate objects being lobbed at his head would have been a smidgen harder to accomplish without it.

For all her prickly-ness, Haru discovered that she really didn't know how to fight. She just reacted on instinct like an animal backed into a corner. Although her instincts were dead-on and frighteningly accurate. He found that little bit out after one of his video game controllers nailed him in the spine.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you, so please stop throwing things at me."

"Ha! As if. I know you're just trying to soften me up so you can take me back my brother and sister!"

There had to be a better way to help her control her anger.

For him, it had been martial arts and then running. Then there was the street fighting on the side, but that wouldn't help her since the goal was to make her as non-violent as possible.

_Thwack!_

"Oi, bastard. I'm hungry," she snapped at him, arms raised to beat him with the pillow again.

Apparently hiding the sharp items in his room made her more creative.

Yanking the pillow out of her grasp, Haru was about to ask her one more time to stop hitting him before she shoved said pillow into his face. And that's when an idea struck him…well, literally actually.

Grinning, he grabbed her by the waist and hauled her over his shoulder and ignored her outraged shrieks of protest as he carried her out the door and out of the house. "I know how you can be violent without hurting anyone!" _At least I hope you can't hurt anyone_, he added silently.

After making a quick call to one of the servants for a massive order of pillows and mattresses, Haru kept himself entertained by coaxing out the inner shy girl out of Kozue. They sat in the courtyard with her—unwillingly—on his lap.

"You're an idiot."

"I know," he nuzzled her ear through her hair and held both her hands in his. "But you have to admit it's a brilliant idea."

She scoffed and turned her head away from him, effectively whipping his face with her hair. When he lightly grabbed her by the chin and turned her face back to meet his, she refused to meet his eyes.

"Kozue," his brows furrowed in concern, "I'm trying to help you because I honestly want to. Tell me what's wrong?" He tried mimicking Momiji's puppy eyes and was satisfied when Kozue cracked a smile before rolling her eyes in mock-disgust.

"You sicken me," she growled before she sighed in defeat. She always was a sucker for the cuteness. "I…I don't know how to have a pillow fight, Haru. I've never had one," she mumbled.

And there it was. That little sign of vulnerability that had her pegged as an innocent. Inwardly, he smiled happily as he wrapped his arms around her. "You'll like learning how; you get to be as violent as you want to be.

The spare dojo in the Sohma complex with filled with the sound fabric tearing and feathers exploding. There was also a hint of maniacal laughter mixed with bouts of "I hope you die of asphyxiation" and "You're as stupid as Shigure!"

_Tha-wunk!_

"Ouch! Sonofa—Kozue, you're not supposed to put your fist _in_ the pillow case!"

"Ooh, what's wrong Haru-_chaan?_ Can't take the—oh what the _hell?_ No hair pulling!"

_Bamf!_

There was the disturbing sound of a medium shaped object slamming into one of the walls. Followed by intense giggling, "Nyah, nyah, you missed!"

Haru had to admit that Kozue with a catty grin was downright adorable. Sure, he threw that pillow with unnecessary force but the look on her face when she dodged it was exhilarating. He would bet on his favorite plushie—not that a full grown man like him would collect plushies—that this was one of the few moments in time that Kozue was _happy._

And even better than that was not once, from the start of the pillow war to now, did he even think of Rin. Strangely enough, that was more than relieving because finally, he was healing.

_Restless_

It just wasn't _fair._

Ever since Kiyone ran him around in circles with her twisted logic, Shigure was absolutely _miserable._ She had him sleeping on the _floor_ for Kami's sake! Of course it was all unintentional; she just had a bad habit of kicking him to the floor every time he tried to cuddle with her. When he had complained to her about it, she merely said that his unborn children sensed his pervyness and didn't want him near them. He was left speechless for about a minute before she laughed in his face and hugged him in apology.

Shigure didn't like it when she was mean to him. He even told her so in third person. He then told her that Shigure didn't like being smacked without just cause.

He soon discovered that being pinched _with_ just cause was even more painful than being smacked. She did one of those lingering pinches his mom used to do to him. The kind where it would have been ten minutes, but he could still feel how much it hurt. Glaring at his sleeping lover, he mentally decided that yes, all moms were born with the knowledge of how to hurt men.

Vile women the lot of them, but…

Shigure liked them wicked and with an intensely perverted grin, he snickered to himself as he pressed a kiss to his lover's temple.

**A/N: Naughty, naughty Shigure. I hope you all liked it. :)**


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